Editing Justin Morgan (section)

==Music==
Morgan was a composer, best known for his [[hymn]]s and [[fuguing tune]]s. While not so famous as those by [[William Billings]], his works share the same characteristic roughness, directness, and folk-like simplicity.

Publications containing his work include ''The Federal Harmony'' (New Haven, 1790), and ''The Philadelphia Harmony'', 4th ed. (Philadelphia, 1791). The former collection includes what perhaps is his most famous composition entitled, "Amanda," a setting of [[Isaac Watts]]'s poem based on Psalm 90. This hymn was the basis for a classical work written by American composer [[Thomas Canning]] in 1946, "Fantasy on a Hymn Tune by Justin Morgan."<ref>{{cite AV media notes | title = Fantasy on a Hymn Tune by Justin Morgan| author = Leopold Stokowski conducts the Houston Symphony | page = 3 | year = 1960 | publisher = Everest Records | oclc = 4444534}}</ref> The tune "Despair," in the 1791 collection, cites the death of "Amanda" (referring to his wife, Martha Day, who died on March 20 that year, ten days after giving birth to their youngest daughter, Polly)<ref name=BANDEL>{{cite book| title= Sing the Lord's Song in a Strange Land |last= Bandel | first = Betty | year = 1981 | publisher = Associated University Presses, University of Toronto}}</ref>{{rp|p. 130}} in a paraphrase of [[Alexander Pope]]'s [[Ode to Solitude|Ode on Solitude]].

Morgan's setting of Psalm 63, entitled ''Montgomery'', was a popular [[fuguing tune]], included among the 100 hymn-tunes most frequently printed during the eighteenth century.<ref name =BANDEL/>{{rp|p. 144}} Four of his tunes, including ''Montgomery'', are in the 1991 edition of ''The Sacred Harp'';<ref>[https://fasola.org/indexes/1991/?v=composer Fasola.org composer index]</ref> three more songs, including "Amanda" and "Despair," both grieving over the death of his wife, are in the [[Shenandoah Harmony]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.shenandoahharmony.com/2018/nsv-all-day-2014-recordings/shh-210-amanda-2/ |title=''Shenandoah Harmony'' 210 Amanda |access-date=2019-12-14 |archive-date=2019-12-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191214210731/https://www.shenandoahharmony.com/2018/nsv-all-day-2014-recordings/shh-210-amanda-2/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Its voice-leading, as is common in works by [[Yankee tunesmiths|early American composers]], contains numerous unabashed parallel fifths, giving the music a folk-like quality. Another work of his, the ''Judgment Anthem'', is tonally adventurous, moving back and forth between E minor and E♭ major; it was the first anthem published in [[shape note]]s, appearing in Little and Smith's ''[[The Easy Instructor]]'' (1801), and many tunebooks thereafter.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.shenandoahharmony.com/2013/morgans-judgment-anthem-newly-typeset/ |title=Morgan's Judgment Anthem, Newly Typeset |last=Hall |first=Rachel |date=August 23, 2013 |website=Shenandoah Harmony website |publisher= |access-date=30 January 2020 |quote= |archive-date=24 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924034041/https://www.shenandoahharmony.com/2013/morgans-judgment-anthem-newly-typeset/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>